


nine minus eight equals to (not) one

by yoonminoml (fanficloverme96)



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Gen, The rest makes minor appearances - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficloverme96/pseuds/yoonminoml
Summary: It starts with eight hours before.
Relationships: Kujou Ten & Nanase Riku
Comments: 10
Kudos: 91





	nine minus eight equals to (not) one

_Eight hours before_

When did it start? 

When did this fear start to claw his heart and make his steps heavy? Riku tries to sing but the words seem to be clogged in his throat and forcing them out hurts. It hurts a lot. The audience - what used to be the many faces he tries to memorize every live - is now a dark shapeless mass of blob that’s spilling from the stands and moving towards him. Riku takes a step back involuntarily, his lips parted not to sing.

But to let out a scream.

It’s scary. It’s scary. Being on stage is scary. The audience is expecting too much. Riku cannot fulfill their expectations. He’s scared. He’s _scared_ -

There are hands around him. Eyes looking at him in surprise. He sees Iori’s among them, and Riku sees his lips moving. Is he calling for him? Riku cannot tell. It’s hurt to breathe. It’s terrifying to stand on this stage. He wants to run away, run away, go towards -

He’s already falling.

He hears more screams. He hears frantic calls of his name. 

Riku’s scared. Riku hurts. 

Riku doesn’t see or hear anything anymore.

_Seven hours before_

“What do you mean he won’t live through the night?! That’s ridiculous!”

“Iori-san!” Tsumugi begs, “Please calm down!”

“Iori!” Mitsuki chimes in, trying to pull his brother away, “Let the doctor explain!”

“He just told us Nanase-san is dying!” Iori all but shouts. It’s rare for him to ever lose his composure, but given the news that the doctor just told him, it’s really to no one’s surprise that he did. Tsumugi herself is struggling to not fall onto her knees and the rest of the members are still staring at the doctor, whose collar is gripped tightly by Iori, in varying degrees of shock and disbelief.

“His body is really weak,” the doctor says quietly a little while later when Yamato and Mitsuki are finally able to pull Iori away from the man, “It’s a combination of stress and other things, but his lungs are starting to give out. It got all the push it needed to fail.” The doctor ducks his head. “We tried our best, but at the rate he’s going, I’m not sure if he’ll last until tomorrow morning.”

“Rikkun… is really going to die?” Tamaki asks shakily, his voice already breaking.

“Manager,” Sougo whispers, “What should we do now?”

Tsumugi places her hands against her chest, her bottom lip trembling. She can’t afford to cry, but the temptation is great. The shock helps to steady her a little, as strange as it might sound. Helps her to clear her head enough for her to speak without breaking down.

“We need to tell his family,” Tsumugi says softly, “If Riku-san is really not going to make it through the night, they deserve to know.” Her chest feels tight. “I can call his parents but...can one of you call Kujou-san for me?”

Nagi ends up volunteering to do it, though it took him time to come to terms with the fact that he’s really going to call Riku’s brother for such a reason. She doesn’t hear the call - she’s already rounding the corner when Nagi pulls out his phone and the boys crowd around Iori and Tamaki to calm them down - but she waits until she’s at a safe enough distance from the boys before she pulls out her own phone and punches in the number.

It takes two rings before Riku’s mother picks up. Tsumugi opens her mouth to deliver the news.

But the only thing that comes out is a loud sob as she finally sinks to the floor and cries.

_Six hours before_

When Tenn checks his vibrating phone to see Nagi’s name flashing across the screen, his first reaction is, _well, this is certainly new_. 

Rokuya Nagi rarely calls him, if ever. He sends Tenn Magical Kokona stickers from time to time when a particularly good episode left so much impression to him that he simply _had_ to tell _everyone_ on his contacts list. 

But to call him? That’s incredibly rare and when Tenn answers the call, he couldn’t help but to be a little confused. And wary.

“Rokuya Nagi?” he asks, “What is it?”

_“Kujou-shi,”_ Nagi says, _“If you’re not sitting down, I suggest you do so right now.”_

Nagi’s voice is terribly quiet and subdued. It has the same tone that reminds Tenn of the conference Nagi once participated in a few months ago, and back then, Tenn remembers thinking how much depth this man actually has. His seriousness had surprised Tenn then; now, it just makes him cautious.

“What do you mean?” Tenn frowns, “Cut to the chase. I don’t have time for vague words. I’m in the middle of practice.”

His words sound curt and harsh even to him, but Tenn couldn’t help it. He feels uneasy for some reason and unconsciously, he’s already doing what Nagi told him to. He sits on the floor of the practice room, his back against the tall mirror that covers the entirety of the wall. He could see his reflection in the mirror opposite of him, and the reflection of his reflection.

An endless cycle of wariness staring back at him.

_“Kujou-shi.”_ There is a hushed breath. Tenn grips the phone a little tighter. A distance away, Gaku and Ryuu are already walking towards him, their expressions speak of worry.

Tenn wants to yell at Nagi to spit the words out. He doesn’t have time for this. Just tell him -

And then Nagi does.

“Tenn?” he hears Gaku call out to him, “What’s wrong? Who is it?”

Ryuu is crouching in front of him, the lines on his forehead a proof of his concern. “Tenn, your face is really pale. Are you feeling sick?”

Nagi is repeating his name from the other side of the line. Tenn doesn’t quite hear him. 

“Gaku...Ryuu…” he says, his voice barely above a whisper, “Call Anesagi-san. Get the car.” 

“Tenn -,” Gaku tries to say.

There is a dial tone in his ear by the time Tenn realizes he is yelling at his teammates.

_“Get the car and take me to the hospital. Now!”_

_Five hours before_

Tenn hasn’t been in the hospital in a fairly long while. Aside from his semi-regular physical checkups, Tenn rarely had a reason to go to one. Hospitals generally don’t have pleasant memories for him, after all. They remind him of his childhood, where he would spend time waiting in the hallway with his parents as Riku would fight for his life in the next room over.

He would have never imagined he would do the same thing again several years later. His footsteps echo off the floor as he races down the hallway towards the room where Nagi said Riku was. He barely notices his teammates calling out to him from behind, nor does he register the faces of Tsumugi and the rest of IDOLiSH7 when he finally reaches the room.

Practically bursting through the door, he finally comes to a complete stop in front of the bed in the centre of the room, where his younger twin brother lies still and strapped to various machines. The heart monitor is really loud in the room - so much louder than the sound of his thundering heartbeat or the barely audible sound of Riku’s breathing.

Riku.

“Tenn.”

Tenn’s head snaps to the side at the sound of that familiar voice. He registers a second too late that his parents are looking at him from the other side of the bed. His mother’s eyes are red-rimmed from crying, and his father’s face is as pale as a ghost. How long has it been since Tenn last saw his parents? Long enough for his brain to remember their faces a second too slowly, apparently.

“Tenn,” his mother whispers, “Oh, _Tenn._ ”

Tenn doesn’t have the chance to back away when his mother strides across the room to wrap her arms around him and pull him into an embrace. His mother’s touch is warm and she still smells faintly of strawberries. Tenn’s eyes widen in surprise and his arms hang uselessly at his sides. He doesn’t know what to do. When was the last time he had hugged his mother? When was the last time he thought to himself of how strong and firm his mother’s embrace is?

“Mother -,”

When his father finally walks over to him and caresses his hair as if to comfort him, Tenn finally feels the sting in his eyes as tears pool in them and the tightness of his chest as a sob rises up his throat.

“Father, Mother, I -,” he says hoarsely.

“Tenn,” his mother says brokenly, her hand warm on his back, “It’s been such a long time.”

“You’ve grown so much,” his father says quietly, “I wish we could have met under different circumstances.”

His father’s words jolt him back to reality. Tenn reluctantly pulls away from his mother’s embrace to turn towards Riku, his legs bringing him towards his brother as if on autopilot. He stops just beside him, his hand trembling when he reaches out to touch Riku’s face. Riku remains unconscious, his skin incredibly cold to the touch.

“R-Riku...he…” He sucks in a breath. “Is he really…”

It’s difficult to say it. After all, how _could_ he? It’s a fate that Riku had brushed against time and time again in the past and managed to escape each time. To hear that fate had finally grabbed hold of Riku’s hand and isn’t willing to let go seems unreal. It _has_ to be unreal. 

“The doctors said his lungs are steadily failing,” his father murmurs, “He was in so much pain that they had to put him in a coma just so he could sleep. Even though he’s -,”

Tenn hears his father cut himself off. His mother begins to sob again.

_Even though he’s dying anyway._

Riku is dying. He really is dying. It’s no longer some distant nightmare but a reality so close that it takes Tenn by surprise.

“When is he going to wake up?” Tenn asks quietly.

“In a few hours,” Tsumugi answers for him from the doorway. She looks incredibly haggard when Tenn turns to look at her, as if she just aged a whole decade in a span of a couple of hours. “He’ll be in pain, but the doctors said it’s his only chance to…” She chokes, tears gathering in her eyes. “To say goodbye.”

Tenn hears more sniffles and quiet sobbing. His parents. Tsumugi. Members of IDOLiSH7. Even Gaku and Ryuu, who finally reached the room a moment ago, are red-eyed and wearing expressions filled with disbelief. 

Tenn is rooted to the spot, not knowing what to say.

Riku is dying. Just a few days ago, when the last time Tenn had seen him, Riku looked healthy and well. He wasn’t smiling - something about stress and anxiety that Iori hadn’t gone into with much detail - but he was running about and singing his heart out for the rehearsal, as healthy as he could ever be.

Now he’s lying on the bed, his last breath hanging over his head.

Tenn doesn’t want to believe it.

“Can I please be alone with him?” he hears himself say, “ _Please._ ”

“Of course,” his father says, “Your mother and I will get some food for us.” He tries to smile at Tenn, though the edges of his lips waver at the effort. “You looked as though you were in the middle of something before you got here. You must have not eaten.”

“We’ll go with you!” Gaku offers.

“Thank you, Yaotome-kun,” his mother says.

Tsumugi ushers the rest of Riku’s teammates away from the room, saying something about how they should eat too, especially since it’s right after their concert. Oh right. Tonight had been the group’s anniversary concert. Tenn would have gone if it didn’t clash with his practice schedule.

Now he wonders if he should have skipped and watched the concert anyway. It would have been the last time he could see his brother perform.

It takes him half a minute to realize that he’s finally alone with Riku. He grabs a chair and pulls it towards him. He sits down next to the bed, his hands already reaching out to close around one of Riku’s.

His brother’s skin is so cold.

“Riku,” he whispers, “Please tell me you’re just playing a joke on me.” His bottom lip trembles. “ _Please._ ”

The only answer he gets is the loud steady sound of the heartbeat monitor and the sight of Riku’s mask fogging up with every breath he takes.

When they were 10 years old, Riku had a really close brush with death.

Tenn remembers that event as if it happened yesterday. Their parents were busy as usual running their livehouse - one popular artist was to perform there that night and they had to make sure everything ran smoothly. Coincidentally, that day was also the day where Riku had one of his frequent fevers. Left with very little choice, Tenn skipped school to look after his brother while their parents went to work.

It wasn’t a very difficult decision to make. Tenn had always prioritized his younger brother over anything else.

Riku had been sick but he was well enough to walk around and watch TV with Tenn instead of being confined to his bed. At some point, Riku had gotten restless and wanted to play. Tenn remembers little Riku hanging onto his sleeves, already near tears because his beloved older brother refused to indulge with his small request.

“You’re sick, Riku,” Tenn had said helplessly, “You shouldn’t go out in your condition.”

“But Tenn-nii, I’m bored,” Riku whined, “I can play around just for a little while. Please?” He pouted. “Just to the park behind our house. Just for ten minutes! Please, Tenn-nii, please.”

It’s hard to fight against Riku when he’s being insistent like this. He could tell that if he rejected him further, Riku would just sulk at him and if he’s sulking, he would ignore Tenn for the rest of the day. Which meant that getting him to eat his medicine would become much harder than usual.

Tenn heaved a sigh. “Just for 10 minutes and it’s back inside for us!”

When Riku loudly cheered and told Tenn how much he loved him, Tenn did not stop the smile on his face. If it meant seeing Riku happy like this, Tenn was usually willing to bend the rules just a little bit. Besides, Riku _could_ use some fresh air.

Tenn remembers sitting on one of the swings as he watched Riku run around happily, switching from one toy to another. He played on the slides a couple of times before crawling through the tunnels on the playgym. When he rode on one of the springy horses, he turned to Tenn and waved happily, grinning from ear to ear.

For a moment, Tenn forgot that his brother was ill.

That was, until he heard a loud thumping sound. He lifted his gaze and saw Riku slumped on the ground beside the springy horse.

“Riku!” Tenn screamed, rushing over to him. “Riku, are you alright? Riku, wake up!”

His brother’s skin was burning hot under his touch and his breath came out in gasps. Tenn’s screams attracted other people’s attention and eventually, someone called the ambulance. Tenn remembers holding Riku’s hand the entire way to the hospital, tears streaming down his face as he watched his unconscious brother struggle to breathe.

The rest of the day was a blur. He remembers his parents rushing in. He remembers his father’s screams at the doctor to save his son. He remembers his mother’s tears as she watched her son lay on the bed in the ICU. He remembers their quiet murmurs about having to work still, even from where they are, just to ensure the concert at their livehouse still ran smoothly.

He remembers timidly approaching his mother and spilling out the truth.

His second clearest memory of that day was the stinging pain on his cheek when his mother slapped him out of anger, yelling at him for being so irresponsible and that Riku was sick and Tenn shouldn’t have indulged in him too much. His mother broke down right after, pulling Tenn into a hug as she cried and cried and cried.

His clearest memory of the day was when Riku finally woke up a few days later, his voice weak when he whispered to Tenn the moment he saw him beside his bed.

“I’m sorry I made you take me outside.”

That day was a memory Tenn wanted so desperately to forget. But as bad memories go, it stands out clearly in his mind until today.

_Four hours before_

“You’re not going to eat?”

Tenn lifts his head tiredly from the mattress - he hadn’t realized he had dozed off in the middle of everything - to see Iori peering at him. 

“You’re still...here?” Tenn asks.  
  


“I’m just about to leave,” Iori replies, “Manager is still taking care of some things and honestly...I just wanted to see Nanase-san.” His fingers curl into loose fists by his side. “I don’t know if this is the last time I’ll see him.”

“You sound really calm.”

Iori laughs hollowly. “Do I? When the doctor first announced the news, I was the first one to lose my cool, actually.” He takes another chair to sit next to Tenn. He glances at the untouched bento on the bedside table, placed there by Tenn’s mother before the pair left to settle some things with Tsumugi and the newly-arrived Otoharu. “You should eat. Get some strength.”

“I don’t have the appetite for it,” Tenn says quietly.

“Yes, well… I don’t blame you.” Iori looks at the sleeping Riku on the bed. “He looks so at peace like that. It’s hard to believe that maybe by the time the sun rises, he’ll…”

Die. Riku will die.

The nurse who came by shortly before to check Riku’s condition had hesitated to tell Tenn before the boy insisted, and when she broke the news that Riku’s condition was worsening even in his state of unconsciousness, Tenn had been too tired to cry.

“How long until he wakes up from this coma?” Iori asks softly.

“In two hours or so, the doctor will wake him up,” Tenn answers just as softly.

“He’ll be in pain,” Iori says ruefully, “But if he doesn’t wake up, he won’t have time to see anyone for the last time.”

It’s a painful truth, and at this point, Tenn is too exhausted to argue. He cried so much his eyes are now swollen and shedding more tears just seemed too much work. It’s almost funny how just a few hours ago, he had been practicing in the dance studio with Gaku and Ryuu. Now he’s by Riku’s side, waiting for his brother’s imminent death.

“I wonder how the fans will react,” Tenn says.

Iori is silent beside him and for a moment, Tenn wonders if the boy heard him at all.

“He was afraid, you know,” Iori murmurs, “These past few days, Nanase-san was full of fear.”

Tenn turns to Iori in surprise. “What do you mean…?”

“Whatever happened to Zero before he disappeared...it happened to Nanase-san. The stage he used to love became a scary place for him. The fans he adored became a burden. A heavy expectation he’s afraid to fulfill.” Iori’s expression twists. “I knew this but I...I didn’t know how to stop it. I knew that he was hurting but I was powerless to stop it.”

He grits his teeth.

“Now I wished I tried harder. Now...Nanase-san is…”

Tenn doesn’t know how to process Iori’s revelation. Should he be angry? Should he grab Iori by the collar and yell at him? Scream at him that he should have tried harder and save his brother from his fears? It’s a great temptation - pushing the blame to someone else.

But all Tenn ends up doing is to pat Iori on the back, watching as the boy folds into himself on his seat.

“I should have tried harder too,” he whispers. Both to Iori and to himself.

Iori finally breaks, his sobs shattering the silence of the room as he cries in his seat. 

“Tenn-nii?”

They were thirteen again, and it was the summer before Tenn left with Kujou. They didn’t know this yet. Or rather, _Riku_ didn’t know this yet. Tenn had a worry, had a thought, had some fear in his heart. He acknowledged none of those things now. All that mattered was his little brother who looked at him from his hospital bed.

“Mom and Dad...they’re worried about something, aren’t they?” Riku said, “They always have this look on their face when they think I didn’t notice. Does it…” He bit his bottom lip. “Does it have anything to do with that Kujou person?”

Tenn tried to smile - to offer any sort of comfort to his brother. “What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know,” Riku admitted, “It’s just a strange inkling. I also...I also don’t feel good about him. Whenever he comes by to Mom and Dad’s live house, he’s always fixated on you. Which is weird because you’re not a performer. And yet he’s always there.”

There was a hand on his sleeve. Tenn looked at Riku’s small hands on the material of his sleeves and wondered when was the last time the twins held their hands together. Would Tenn’s hands be bigger since he’s the healthier one? Would Riku’s hands always be warm to the touch?

Would this be the last time Tenn could see Riku’s hands up close, knowing what he’s considering in his head unbeknownst to Riku?

“Tenn-nii.”

“What is it, Riku?”

There was a pause, like Riku was hesitating about something.

“No matter what happens, you won’t leave me right?” 

Tenn blinked in surprise. For a moment, a brief flash of panic flitted through his mind. Did Riku find out? Did someone tell him? That’s impossible. No one but him knew of his decision. He hadn’t even told his parents yet. He hadn’t even approached Kujou about it.

But,

Riku had always been perceptive. More often than not, it’s a characteristic that Riku himself probably didn’t realize he had.

Tenn held Riku’s hands. Memorized the warmth of his brother’s skin and the shape and size of his brother’s hands and how well they fit together.

He smiled.

“Of course not, Riku. One way or another, I’ll always be by your side,” he promised.

_Three hours before_

Tenn holds Riku’s hands and brings them to his forehead. They’re cold, but they still fit the same in Tenn’s hands.

Like a memory from a distant past.

“Riku,” he whispers brokenly, “Was it because I broke my promise first that you want to leave me now?”

_Two hours before_

An hour passes rather uneventfully. IDOLiSH7, Tsumugi and Otoharu went back to the company to freshen up before planning to return in an hour. Gaku and Ryuu also went back to their shared apartment to pick up something. Gaku’s touch is a ghost on his shoulder, while the memory of Ryuu’s comforting words rings through his mind.

He’s now accompanied with his parents when the doctor comes by to gently rouse Riku from his slumber. To give him his final hours to see everyone and say goodbye.

It’s a painful reality and Tenn finds himself holding his breath when the doctor gently but surely coaxes Riku out from his induced coma. His brother’s eyelids begin moving and there is a soft groan escaping from his lips, mixed with the sound of pain and discomfort. His waking hours will not be comfortable, but it is the only time he has left.

“Nanase-san,” the doctor says gently, “Your family is here. Come on. Let’s see them together, okay?”

Riku’s gaze flits weakly across the room before it lands on Tenn. And then his parents. And then back to Tenn again.

“Mom...Dad…” His voice sounds so whispery. So weak. “Tenn-nii...Everyone is here. Is this...is this a dream?”

Tenn is the first to break. He’s surprised by himself; he had wanted to remain strong for as long as he could. But how could he? How could he possibly do that when the reality of the situation comes crashing down onto him so rapidly that he barely has the time to process it all?

“No,” Tenn chokes out. Beside him, his mother is crying again. His father looks as though he’s not too far from breaking down himself. “Riku...this is not a dream. I…” He walks towards Riku, his hands reaching out for his brother’s. Holding him like he did all those years ago when they were children. Like he should have still if he hadn’t left Riku to go with Kujou.

He presses Riku’s cold hands against his cheek as he cries silently.

“I’m sorry it took so long, Riku. But we’re a family again. All of us together.”

_One hour before_

Time passes in a blur.

Or at least, it does for Tenn.

Riku’s in constant pain and discomfort throughout the entire time he’s awake that he drifts in and out of consciousness because of it, and conversations are hard. In the end, Riku doesn’t talk much, but he tries to smile anytime he can. Tries to hold Tenn’s hands tighter.

No one speaks of his upcoming fate. Not Tenn. Not their parents. Not Riku.

But Riku knows. Of course he does.

IDOLiSH7 came an hour after Riku woke up as promised. The atmosphere is noticeably heavy, but his friends try to not let it show on their faces. They crack jokes. They talk about the concert. Tsumugi praises Riku for his brilliant performance. The fans are worried but they want Riku to get better and he should rest for as long as he needs to.

Tenn could not smile at that. Riku tries, regardless.

Gaku and Ryuu come by shortly after, and like IDOLiSH7, they try not to show their real feelings on their face. They try to offer the boy some sense of normalcy, though Tenn doesn’t miss the way Gaku’s hand lingers in Riku’s hair for a second longer and Ryuu’s words waver at the end. Re:Vale and ZOOL made the time to see him, though unlike the rest, they couldn’t hide the sadness and shock on their faces. Haruka cries hard, and Momo is stunned speechless.

Tenn doesn’t blame them. He would have wanted to cry more as well.

Riku smiles and says words of comfort. His words don’t stop Haruka’s tears nor do they coax a smile onto Momo’s face. But Tenn knows ZOOL and Re:Vale are trying to come to terms with it, no matter how hard it is to swallow the truth.

Iori is the last to leave the room, aside from Tenn and the twins’ parents, and for once, Tenn could see the mask the boy wears finally cracking.

“Nanase-san…” he whispers, “I…I’m sorry that until the very end, I couldn’t ease your heart.”

Riku shakes his head slowly.

“Iori,” he says, trying to sound as bright as possible, “I’m happy to have you as my friend.”

This time, Iori doesn’t hold back his tears.

This time, neither does Riku.

_Five minutes before_

Riku is weakening rapidly. Tenn instantly knows he doesn’t have much time left.

Everyone is waiting outside, save for Tenn and his parents. Riku’s breathing harshly, looking in so much pain. Tenn wants so badly to ease his pain, even if it’s just by a little bit. He curses the Gods and the Heavens. If Riku has to leave him so soon and so suddenly, why does Riku have to suffer until the very end?

“Riku, my little baby,” their mother sobs, “I’m sorry I can’t take your pain away.”

“I’m sorry, too,” their father whispers, “I’ve never felt so useless in my life.”

“Mom...Dad…” Riku gasps out, “Don’t say that….I’m…happy....you’re all here. Like....last time.”

Tenn’s chest feels tight. There is an overwhelming urge to cry and this time, Tenn is not sure he could stop it. “Mmph, Riku,” Tenn chokes, “We’re all here. Like a family again.” He grits his teeth. It hurts. It hurts so, so much. “Riku, I…”

Don’t leave him. Please don’t leave him. Gods, if they're out there, Tenn desperately prays to them to let Riku stay a little while longer. This is too sudden. This is too fast. Tenn needs more time. Gods, _please -_

“Tenn-nii.”

There is a hand on his cheek. Riku is looking at him. He smiles, and with the oxygen mask on his face, Tenn could see just how _brilliant_ his smile is.

“Thank you,” Riku says softly, his voice already fading, his eyes already starting to slide shut. “For allowing me…to stand on the same stage...with you…” His smile is starting to lose its shine. “With you...the stage…wasn’t so scary…”

Tenn doesn’t stop the tears. He doesn’t stop the sob from rising out from his chest. He grips Riku’s hands tighter. “Riku...Riku...I...I love you so much, I -,”

“M..mph…” Riku’s whispery voice drifts into his ears. “Tenn-nii, I love you too.”

There is a sound of shuddering breath. The heart monitor gives one final beep before it flattens out, the sound deafening in the room. Riku’s hand goes limp before it slides out of Tenn’s grip. Behind him, his parents’ sobs pierce through the silence of the room.

Riku lies still on the bed. His face mask no longer fogs up, because he’s no longer breathing.

His little brother is dead.

Eight hours after IDOLiSH7 held their anniversary concert, the group lost their center. 

Takanashi Productions lost a talent. 

The idol industry lost a star.

And Kujou Tenn, formerly Nanase Tenn, lost his younger twin brother. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for a mutual on Twitter who wanted me to bring out knives apparently :D
> 
> Kudos/comments/bookmarks are appreciated and you can find me on Twitter at @tennssi0907 !


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